Ryan Crowley beats Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell but Hawks have last laugh

RYAN Crowley won the battle, but Sam Mitchell won the war.  

Sam Mitchell

SUPER stopper Ryan Crowley says Fremantle's gut-wrenching Grand Final loss will drive the Dockers to next season's decider.

The AFL's No.1 tagger claimed another scalp today, keeping Mitchell to just 12 disposals.

Read that again: 12 disposals.

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Mitchell hasn't been so quiet since he had 11 touches against Sydney in Round 2, 2009.

All the pre-match talk had suggested that if Crowley were to shut Mitchell out then the Dockers would go a long way to winning the game.

He did, but at 5.10pm Mitchell was the one smiling from ear to ear while Crowley sat desolate, on his own, at the Punt Rd end pondering what might have been.

Crowley, who had 15 touches but missed two crucial goals, says the gut-wrenching Grand Final loss will drive the Dockers next year.

"It’s a terrible feeling. I was going to use another word then," Crowley said.

"I suppose listening to Luke (Hodge) talk after the game they were in the same position last year and they went away and tinkered with a few things and knew they’d be back here.

"I just hope all the boys are burning like I am. We’ll be back next year.

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"It’s just burning at the moment. I’m just trying to keep it together.

"I’ve got to be honest. The first thing I was thinking was I can’t wait to get back into it.

"…I hate saying this but a lot of teams have always said you’ve got to lose one to win one."

Ryan Crowley

So noticeable with a white sweatband on each wrist, Crowley stood right in the middle of the MCG at 2.29pm and waited for his prey.

He sidled up to Paul Puopolo at the first bounce, but that was just a ruse.

With a push straight to Mitchell's chest Crowley announced that he would be running with the former Hawks skipper, and the 28-year-old didn't leave his side all game.

But for all the pre-match hype and suggestions that Crowley could be sent home in an ambulance, the match-up we all wanted to see was conspicuous only for its lack of fireworks.

Sam Mitchell

Lance Franklin, potentially playing his last game in brown and gold, showed his loyalty to the cause by being Mitchell's major support outlet in the early stages - "Buddy" gave away the game's first free kick after cannoning in to a stationary Crowley's back on Hawthorn's forward flank.

While Cameron Sutcliffe was Crowley's best wingman in the first quarter, putting body-on-body on several occasions - most notably when he sat Mitchell on his backside as he and Crowley ambled through the middle of the 'G with the Hawk.

As hard as Mitchell ran off the ball to get to contests he just couldn't exert himself, but conversely Crowley wasn't having an influence going the other way.

They both had four first quarter possessions, Crowley went 10-6 in front at halftime and led 12-10 at the last break.

Fittingly, Mitchell had his most telling stat when he was standing next to Nat Fyfe, not Crowley.

It was a hack out of mid-air from a centre clearance midway through the third quarter that led to Jack Gunston kicking his fourth goal just two possessions later.

As the Hawks got on top in the last term via the likes of Luke Hodge and Brian Lake, Mitchell failed to touch the ball.

He had a zero possession quarter - and gave a free away for a high tackle on his direct opponent - just eight days after he collected 38 disposals in an immense preliminary final performance against Geelong.

Mitchell sought Crowley out a couple of minutes after the final siren.

His embrace was warm and we can only assume he acknowledged that Crowley had had the better of him.

Mitchell won't look back on his personal performance with any fondness.

But as he said after the game, "I don't really care, I got a medal''.

And that's all the matters.